News Analysis India

Tag: BJP

  • TMC, BJP brought West Bengal to ruins: Former CM Buddhadeb Bhattacharya

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: Former West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya came down heavily on the ruling TMC and the BJP on Monday, accusing them of ruining the state and its secular credentials.

    Bhattacharya, 76, said it is only the Left-Congress-ISF alliance that can bring the state out of the darkness.

    Noting that “the silence of a crematorium” prevails in Singur and Nandigram, he alleged that under the present dispensation, the state has gone backwards in agriculture, while no industry was established during its 10-year-tenure.

    Anti-land acquisition movements led by the Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee at Singur and Nandigram in 2007-08 had jolted the mighty Left Front government and laid the foundation of the TMC rule in West Bengal.

    “The conspirators of the devious play of that period are now divided in two groups engaged in mudslinging against each other,” Bhattacharya said.

    Young people of Bengal have lost employment opportunities and the meritorious and skilled left for other states owing to the situation, the CPI(M) veteran said in a statement.

    “Corruption, extortion and syndicate-raj have made the lives of the state’s people unbearable,” he said, adding, security and respect of women are endangered due to antisocial activities.

    “Religious harmony, which used to be West Bengal’s pride, has been poisoned,” the ailing former CM claimed.

    Bhattacharya said the TMC’s autocratic rule on one hand and the BJP’s politics of divide and religious polarisation on the other have brought the state to ruins.

  • Union Minister Babul Supriyo creates controversy after ‘slapping’ man in BJP office

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: Union Minister Babul Supriyo who is contesting the West Bengal assembly election from the Tollygunje constituency, has courted controversy by allegedly slapping a man inside a party office in Kolkata.

    A video, which went viral Monday, showed the singer-turned BJP leader purportedly slapping the man who had repeatedly asked him to start serious campaigning on the field instead of posing before TV cameras and giving bytes.

    Supriyo later claimed that he did not “slap him but only gestured to do so”.

    The alleged incident took place in a BJP party office at Ranikuthi in the Tollygunge constituency where the Union minister of state for environment, forest & climate change attended a function on the occasion of Doljatra festival on Sunday.

    When the man advised him to start serious campaigning, Supriyo initially asked him to keep quiet but he continued to make similar comments, BJP sources said.

    At one point of time, the minister was seen slapping him once.

    “With people coming from one party to another, there can be some Bibhisons and some Mir Jafars (traitors). Some people are definitely trying to create disturbances. I kept my cool despite his provocations,” Supriyo told reporters.

    However, he did not elaborate if he considered the youth as someone sent by the Trinamool Congress or a ‘Bibhison’ or ‘Mir Jafar’ within the party.

    The identity of the youth is not known.

    TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said that the party wanted to know whether the man slapped by Supriyo was “an outsider of the Trinamool Congress or a Bibhison (someone of the BJP)”.

    “Those accepting people from other parties with open arms should not make such comments,” he said.

    BJP state president Dilip Ghosh said, “Babul might have touched the man at the heat of the moment but he did not intend to hit him or harm him physically.”

  • Ensure safety of BJP leaders: Punjab government to district authorities

    By PTI
    CHANDIGARH: The Punjab government has asked deputy commissioners and district police chiefs to ensure safety and security of BJP leaders during their scheduled programmes, a day after a party MLA was assaulted by a group of farmers protesting against the Centre’s agri laws.

    According to an order issued by the state home affairs department, additional personnel of the India Reserve Battalion, the Punjab Armed Police and commandos may be sought wherever required.

    BJP MLA from Abohar in Fazilka district Arun Narang was allegedly thrashed and his clothes ripped off by a group of protesting farmers in Muktsar’s Malout on Saturday.

    The BJP leader had gone to Malout to address a press conference.

    “All DCs (Deputy Commissioners) and SSPs (Senior Superintendents of Police) are directed to personally ensure that such an incident does not happen anywhere in the state in future,” according to the order issued by the Additional Chief Secretary (Home) on Sunday.

    “In view of the extremely surcharged atmosphere when such BJP programmes are scheduled in your districts, DCs, CPs (Commissioners of Police), and SSPs must ensure the maintenance of public order and communal harmony and ensure the safety and security of visiting BJP leaders,” it said.

    After the Muktsar incident, the BJP had held protests at many places in the state against the attack on Narang.

    Several Punjab BJP leaders had even staged a sit-in outside the official residence of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh here on Sunday.

    Punjab Governor V P Singh Badnore too had condemned the attack on Narang and had sought a report from the Congress-led government in the state.

    The governor had called up the Punjab Chief Minister, who holds the home portfolio, and conveyed his serious concern over the incident.

    Several political parties had already condemned the incident.

    BJP leaders in Punjab are facing the ire of farmers demanding the withdrawal of the Centre’s three new agricultural laws for the last four months.

    The agitating farmers have even disrupted programmes of BJP leaders on a few occasions.

  • Block Development Council chairperson from Gurez joins BJP in Jammu

    By PTI
    JAMMU: Block Development Council (BDC) chairperson from north Kashmir’s Gurez, Famida Bano, on Monday joined the BJP here, a party spokesperson said.

    Bano was welcomed by BJP general secretary (organization) Ashok Kaul, who said her joining would boost the morale of party workers in Gurez segment of Bandipora district.

    Bano said she has decided to join the BJP with a firm view that she will be able to serve in an empowered way.

    She also expressed her gratitude to the BJP leadership and said, “I will never let the party down.”

    Kaul said, “Gurez is a very sensitive and strategic constituency. There is huge neglect and deprivation due to the discrimination of traditional political parties who were governing the state for last seven decades.”

    Former MLC Surinder Ambardar said Gurez would be developed as a model constituency in future.

    “The people of Gurez have shown their patriotism by negating separatism and terrorism for last three decades. They are wedded to nationalism and are echoing the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he said.

    District Development Council (DDC) member from Tulail (Gurez) Aijaz Khan was also present on the occasion.

  • Lockdown not a solution for COVID-19 surge: BJP’s Chandrakant Patil

    By PTI
    PUNE: A day after Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray asked officials to prepare a plan for implementation of a lockdown, state BJP president Chandrakant Patil said lockdown is not a solution for the rise in cases of coronavirus.

    Talking to reporters here after meeting Pune Police Commissioner Amitabh Gupta, Patil said not the only BJP, but all traders and workers from unorganised sectors will oppose the lockdown.

    “Lockdown is not an answer to the increasing COVID-19 cases in the state. If the lockdown is imposed, you (state government) will not give any package (for relief to affected people). How people lived in the last one year cannot be understood by sitting inside ‘Matoshree’,” Patil said.

    ‘Matoshree’ is the residence of CM Thackeray in Bandra area of Mumbai.

    Patil said there is no objection to night curfew, but activities during the day should be continued.

    “I am okay with the night curfew. Nobody goes out at night. There are some people with you (in state government) who go out as they want nightlife,” the BJP leader said.

    He was apparently referring to state minister Aaditya Thackeray who had pitched for the revival of nightlife in Mumbai.

    “If you really want to impose lockdown, announce a package and give Rs 5,000 per month to every worker from the unorganised sector,” Patil said.

    Testing, tracing and treatment of COVID-19patients are the keys to check the spread of the viral infection, but lockdown is not an answer, he asserted.

    Asked about speculation in political circles that NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Union Home Minister Amit Shah met in Ahmedabad on Saturday, Patil said he has no details of it.

    “All such meetings take place routinely.

    In the Indian culture, politics is on one side, but we all should meet.

    Of late, such meetings have decreased in Maharashtra (among opponents),” he said.

    Patil said since Pawar and Shah were there (in Ahmedabad), they might have met.

    The NCP shares power in Maharashtra with the Shiv Sena and Congress.

    Asked whether he is okay if the BJP and NCP come together, Patil said whatever decision is taken by senior leadership of the BJP, it will be accepted as it will always be in the interest of the party.

    Patil also wished good health to Pawar (80), who will undergo surgery at a hospital in Mumbai after it was diagnosed that he has gall bladder issue.

  • BJP announces one more candidate for Bengal polls

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday announced the name of one more candidate for the West Bengal Assembly elections.

    The party has fielded Bikash Biswas from the Galsi seat that will go for polls on April 22 in the sixth phase.

    Biswas will take on Trinamool Congress candidate Nepal Ghorui and All India Forward Bloc’s Nanda Pandit in the reserved category seat.

    In phase-VI, a total of 43 seats will go for polls.

    Meanwhile, the first phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections concluded with an estimated 79.79 per cent voter turnout on Saturday.

    In the first phase, 30 seats covering all Assembly constituencies from the districts of Purulia and Jhargram and a segment of Bankura, Purba Medinipur and Paschim Medinipur went to polls to decide on the electoral fate of 191 candidates, including 21 women.

    Now the remaining seven phases for the 294-member West Bengal Assembly will be held on different dates with the final round of voting scheduled on April 29. The counting of votes will take place on May 2. 

  • BJP names Mahesh Jeena as its bypoll candidate from Salt in Uttarakhand

    By PTI
    DEHRADUN: The BJP on Monday named Mahesh Jeena as its candidate for the Salt Assembly constituency in Almora district of Uttarakhand, where a bypoll is scheduled to be held on April 17.

    The bypoll to the seat was necessitated after the untimely death of MLA Surendra Singh Jeena due to COVID-19 in November last year.

    Mahesh Jeena is the elder brother of Surendra Singh Jeena, who enjoyed the reputation of being an energetic and farsighted leader dedicated to the development of his constituency.

    By fielding Mahesh Jeena from the seat, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hopes to reap the advantage of his late brother’s good work in his constituency and the sympathy factor.

    Mahesh Jeena will file his nomination on Tuesday, the last date for the filing of nominations for the bypoll, state BJP media in-charge Manveer Singh Chauhan said.

    According to the voters’ list prepared in January, there are 95,241 voters in the Salt Assembly constituency — 48,682 men and 46,559 women.

     

  • Gujarat bypoll: BJP nominates Nimisha Suthar in Morva Hadaf

    By PTI
    AHMEDABAD: The ruling BJP in Gujarat on Monday announced former MLA Nimisha Suthar as its candidate for the Morva Hadaf (ST) Assembly bypoll scheduled to take place on April 17.

    Suthar will take on the Congress’ Suresh Katara.

    The bypoll in Morva Hadaf Assembly seat in Panchmahal district was necessitated after Independent MLA Bhupendrasinh Khant was disqualified in May, 2019 for submitting an invalid caste certificate after he lost a case in the Gujarat High Court on the issue.

    Khant died in January this year.

    Incidentally, Suthar had won from Morva Hadaf in a bypoll held in 2013.

    Counting of votes will take place on May 2.

     

  • BJP worker’s mother, who was allegedly attacked by TMC workers in February, dies

    By ANI
    NORTH 24 PARGANAS: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker from Nimta, Gopal Majumdar’s 85-year-old mother, Shobha Majumdar, who was allegedly beaten up by Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers last month in the North 24 Parganas district, died in the wee hours of Monday.

    Taking to Twitter, BJP National President JP Nadda said: “I wish peace to Nimta’s old mother Shobha Majumdar’s soul. She had to sacrifice her life for her son Gopal Majumdar being in BJP. BJP will always remember her sacrifice. She was Bengal’s ‘mother’ as well as its ‘daughter’. BJP will always fight for the safety of Bengal’s mothers and daughters.”

    Union Home Minister Amit Shah also condoled the death of the octagenarian mother of the BJP candidate, saying her death will haunt West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for long.

    “Anguished over the demise of Bengal’s daughter Shova Majumdar ji, who was brutally beaten by TMC goons. The pain & wounds of her family will haunt Mamata didi for long. Bengal will fight for a violence-free tomorrow, Bengal will fight for a safer state for our sisters & mothers,” he said.

    Gopal Majumdar had alleged last month that three TMC workers attacked his house and attacked his mother.

    “They hit me on my head and neck. They punched on my face too. I am scared. They asked me not to tell anyone about it. My whole body is in pain,” Shobha Majumdar had earlier told ANI.

    Following the attack, several BJP leaders including Suvendu Adhikari had visited Shobha’s residence to take her to the hospital. She was being treated at a private hospital and had returned to her home four days ago.

    Following her death, BJP candidate in Dumdam Uttar constituency Dr Archana Majumdar blamed TMC activists for the attack.

    Her son Gopal also stated that if she was not attacked last month, she would have lived a few more days.

    Gopal, who had earlier lost his father, said that he has become completely alone after losing his mother.

    Political violence has been regularly making headlines in poll-bound West Bengal, as the state moves on to the second phase of the assembly elections.

  • Nusrat Jahan video: Trinamool candidate claims actor-politician was injured in accident; Opposition cries foul

    By ANI
    NORTH 24 PARGANAS: After a video went viral claiming to feature Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Nusrat Jahan losing her temper at a rally, TMC candidate Narayan Goswami on Monday claimed that she was injured after an ‘accident’ during the campaign rallies.

    The video shows the TMC MP was agitated during a campaign. In the video shared through West Bengal BJP Twitter handle a woman can be heard saying: “I have been at the rally for over an hour. I don’t do this even for the Chief Minister. Are you kidding?”

    Speaking to ANI, Goswami said: “Our rally took place at 4 pm. Thousands of people had arrived. The rally went on for 1.5 hours, during which Nusrat spent time with me, interacted with people and waved hands.”

    “At almost 6 pm, we had reached our final point. There was a bumper on the road. The driver was not accustomed to drive on those roads. He had pulled the brake suddenly. Nusrat and I were injured, but due to my bulky physique, I was not hurt much. However, since she had a thin physique, she was hurt. She sat down and tears came out of her eyes. Seeing her pain, I thought she had to be taken to a hospital or nursing home for treatment,” he added.

    Goswami further said he had doubts about the video, highlighting that technology could be a major cause for concern. Dismissing it as a possible conspiracy, he said all angles can be ascertained after Nusrat herself reacts on the matter.

    Meanwhile, the opposition parties have slammed Nursat’s alleged misdemeanour.

    “It is good that actresses enter in a field to serve people, but they also tend to bring the acting with them, which was displayed. We have never seen Nusrat at the side of the people during COVID-19 or the cyclone Amphan. This incident means that her internal mindset has been exposed,” said Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Tanuja Chakraborty.

    Replying to a query on whether technology was involved in making the video, the BJP member said the TMC had nothing to say after being exposed, so they are trying to cover up their mistakes.

    Tapas Chakraborty from the Communist Party of India (Marxist), slammed Nusrat, saying she has insulted the Chief Minister and the parliamentary culture.

    “Firstly, if she is an MP under the Chief Minister, she has insulted the CM and the parliamentary culture. It proves that TMC buys celebrities with money, her money has dried up, that is why this happened,” he told media.

    He also accused Goswami of ‘speaking lies’.

    Nusrat’s video went viral as an intense triangular fight for power has begun in West Bengal Assembly polls, gripping the state in election fever.

    The first phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections concluded with an estimated 79.79 per cent voter turnout on Saturday, including 30 seats covering all constituencies from Purulia and Jhargram and segments from Bankura, Purba and Paschim Medinipur.